Android Circuit Python Editor

This tutorial will show you how to use an Android device to connect with your Circuit Playground Express. Using the Circuit Python Editor application, you can view the output of your code. You can also load, edit, and save the code.py file. Additionally, you can use the application to interact with the REPL (Read, Evaluate, Print, Loop) on your board.

Are you new to using CircuitPython? No worries; there is a full getting started guide here. Once you understand the basics, come back here.

Going Mobile

The Mu Editor (and Pycharm!) are fantastic tools. I use them all the time to debug, create, and edit python code for CircuitPython boards. However, I found myself wanting a way to do some basic debugging and code editing without the need to lug around a laptop, so I created this Android app.

Mobile devices do have their drawbacks: the screen is pretty small, and typing code on a virtual keyboard is not the easiest thing in the world. So, this is not really meant to replace the desktop editors entirely.

But there are some nice upsides, too. The board will be running off of your phone's battery, so you can be on the go without the need for an additional power source.

In particular I wanted to lower the barrier to entry for showing off the magic of CircuitPython to new people. Now I can take a Circuit Playground Express and some cables with me, and I'll already have my phone on me anyway. With this app, I can quickly show people what the board is and how to make it do neat things.

Parts List

In addition to your Android mobile device you will need the following parts:

A Black woman's manicured hand holds a round microcontroller with lit up LEDs.
Circuit Playground Express is the next step towards a perfect introduction to electronics and programming. We've taken the original Circuit Playground Classic and...
$24.95
In Stock
USB OTG Host Cable with Micro B OTG male to A female in black
This cable looks like a USB micro cable but it isn't! Instead of a USB A Plug, it has a USB A Socket on the end. This cable is designed for use with OTG (On the Go) host devices...
$2.50
In Stock
USB cable - USB A to Micro-B - 3 foot long
This here is your standard A to micro-B USB cable, for USB 1.1 or 2.0. Perfect for connecting a PC to your Metro, Feather, Raspberry Pi or other dev-board or...
$2.95
In Stock

This guide was first published on Dec 18, 2018. It was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

This page (Overview) was last updated on Mar 08, 2024.

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